SIPSIS, Italian Psychotherapy Society for the Study of Sexual Identity, is intended to foster the sharing among those professionals who are committed in the study of identities, and especially of sexual identities. In particular, such sharing will focus on the constitutive and evolving dimensions of sexual identities, as well as on their clinical, social and “political” implications, which emerge when the therapeutic practice is called to deal with these matters.

SIPSIS specifically wants to contribute to the training of Italian psychologists and psychotherapists in the field of Sexual Identity, in order to bridge a gap, which characterizes the Italian community of mental health professionals.

SIPSIS aims to promote and deepen the study of psychological, socio-anthropological, biological and genetic dimensions, which are implicated in the construction of sexual identities, both in their typical and atypical configurations. To pursue this goal, SIPSIS endorses the use of multidisciplinary contributions to deconstruct the normative social categories of gender, and the “a priori” assumptions (such as sexist, hetero-normative, sexophobic, homophobic or transphobic ones), which cannot be considered as a normative reference in the clinical work, but rather recognised and analysed in their implications and repercussions on the clinical practice.

Within this frame, a particular attention should be paid to guarantee to all the individuals whose sexual identity does not belong to a statistically typical configuration, that they can access to non-harmful psychotherapeutic treatments, according to the evidence supported by the recent scientific research as well as to the guidelines and indications of the most important international associations, which are reference for the scientific community.

In order to bridge this educational gap and protect LGBT clients, SIPSIS would like to create a synergy, at a national and international level, European to begin with, to give birth to
• an Ethical Code about psychotherapy with lgbt clients
• the definition of educational standards for the teaching of sexual identity issues’, within psychology and psychotherapy trainings.

If you are an association or an institution, and you find this project to be alike to your mission, we will be glad to have the chance to collaborate with you.
You can contact us at the following e-mail address: info@sipsis.it